Timed Text Processing via Pre-stored Formatting Data

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The transition from legacy closed captioning formats to advanced timed text formats, such as SMPTE-TT, poses challenges in incorporating legacy data and providing timely text in live broadcasts, as there is a lack of guidance on how to accomplish this transition effectively.

Innovation Solution

Pre-storing formatting data for timed text at media receivers prior to content receipt allows for the interpretation and presentation of timed text, enabling flexible adjustment and backward compatibility by encapsulating legacy data within newer formats, and reducing the need for live broadcast metadata transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If legacy closed captioning data is incorporated into timed text formats, then backward compatibility is improved, but the complexity of data integration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackward compatibilityVSAvoiddata integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent encapsulates legacy closed captioning data within timed text format structures, nesting the older format data inside the newer format framework. This allows legacy data to be preserved and transmitted through modern timed text infrastructure without requiring separate processing systems, thereby maintaining backward compatibility while managing integration complexity through structured encapsulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces formatting data as an intermediary layer that mediates between legacy closed captioning data and timed text output. This formatting data contains instructions on how to interpret and render the encapsulated legacy data within the timed text framework, simplifying the integration process by providing a clear translation layer without requiring complex direct mapping between formats

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Speed

If timed text formatting data is transmitted during live broadcasts, then real-time captioning is improved, but transmission delays and bandwidth usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time captioningVSAvoidtransmission delay
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-packages timed text data with its associated formatting information into complete units before transmission. By preparing the formatting data and caption data together in advance as self-contained segments, the system eliminates the need for separate real-time formatting data transmission during live broadcasts, reducing delays while maintaining real-time captioning capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines timed text caption data and formatting data into a single integrated data structure that is transmitted together. This merging eliminates the need for separate transmission channels for formatting information, reducing overall transmission time and bandwidth requirements while ensuring that receivers have all necessary information immediately upon receiving the caption data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11638055B2Systems and methods for processing timed text in video programming
Publication Date: 2023.04.25 DISH TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • US11638055B2 patent drawing
  • US11638055B2 patent drawing
  • US11638055B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems, devices and methods are described to process timed text that is associated with media or other video programming. Pre-set data that describes the particular format of the timed text that is associated with a program is initially received and stored at the media receiver prior to receiving the program with encoded timed text. The timed text that is associated with the received program is interpreted according to the pre-set data previously stored at the media receiver, and the program with the interpreted timed text is output to a display for presentation to the viewer.